AT&T Sells Stake in DirecTV,
Considers Joining Cable Rivals

AT&T Corp., signaling a possible new push into the cable-TV business, said it's selling back its equity stake in Hughes Electronics Corp.'s DirecTV Inc. satellite service.

The move to end the lackluster marketing venture could free AT&T to pursue much grander alliances with cable-TV companies, which compete fiercely with DirecTV and other satellite TV companies. Cable companies' push to offer fast data transmission over their lines could help AT&T expand in Internet services. And the cable companies have...